something that really goes all the way back to a deal that john lewis and harry truman made in 1946. the united mine workers and i insisted on a new law that we called the coal act protecting 200,000 miners and their families today. we actually helped avert a nationwide coal strike in 1994. in that fight, and so many others, we have been proud to stand with the working men and women of america. steelworkers, teachers, nurses, and everyone deserves a fair wage and a safe place to work with a basic health care. [applause] our country cannot be as great as it should be unless our workers voices are heard and respected. not only by everybody in general, but certainly policymakers. i am just a single-minded about comprehensive health-care reform. i know is not particularly popular in west virginia, but it's ok. because of my fingerprints are all over it, i know is good and i know it will benefit west virginia more than any other state. it is so incredibly complex, not just the 17% of gdp has people like to say, but it is so complex and involved and interests of people, nuances that we jus